BANDWiDTH – Walking Ghost Phase (2011)

Ayan

• Experimental electronica 
• Power electronics 
• Avant-garde 
• Noise 
• Drone 
• Abstract 
• Experimentalism 
• Improvised noise 
• Non-music 
• Psycho-acoustic

Comment: the Frenchmen David Vilayleck aka Ayankoko and Mathieu Garrouste do create a batch of nine compositions which is based on a couple of live sessions. Recently I saw a TV show about a ghastly event when a saleswoman dialed the telephone number of a man and additionally contacted with his woman who as later was figured out had already been dead/killed. Supposedly the ghosts can use energy for their own sake coming out from the wire. Of course, by dealing with such intentional experiments one must be very warned. On the other side, we cannot eradicate a possibility regarding our lack of knowledge, our prejudices, and some sort of manipulation. It just may be a case of belief. Musically the duo provides a tense experiment with phase changes, for searching a balance between silence and noise, between abrupt intensity and stepwise relaxation. Like it is quite common to noise music some phases are just switched on and some not, and vice versa (the so-called straight, one-dimensional approach). Paradoxically the least strange/hostile element are the voices which supposedly belong to ghosts. The mind-provoking outing is a part of the discography of Ayan Records, and Clinical Archives.

akaUno – [Bad Panda 085] (2011)

Bad Panda

Free Music Archive

• Indietronica 
• Electronic music 
• IDM 
• Alternative 
• Glitchtronica 
• Cowbell indie

Comment: this batch of two compositions chimes like having no existence, as if coming from nowhere, as if reflecting upon objects which did exist somewhere uncountable days ago. In an ordinary sense, this invisible flow of sonic waves does not exist yet this configuration is always over there to be activated for one's pleasure if needed. Indeed, it was issued in 2011 by Bad Panda, it is a year which seems to be a bit within our grasp, and a bit beyond it. Much water has streamed within the river bed since then. The opening track Sunday Market is saturated with glistening rays as if a strong, radiant reflection by such combos as Mouse On Mars, Kreidler, Hood, To Rococo Rot who did like to make up love affairs with intelligent dance music, krautrock, indie and post-rock. The composition is intense and tight, all of its slots are filled in with blissful yet a little bit poisonous magic. The other track called Hidden Leaves can be considered just an accompaniment of Sunday Market yet it is a fine sequence. The guitars are less ambivalent, the tempo is more slowed down and restrained and the intensity of the first track has disappeared. It is a reflection of something which slowly fades away after having experienced the apotheosis. It is called cowbell indie, isn't? Nice.

SkeAmo – erA (2011)

Miga

• Indietronica 
• Electronic music 
• Experimental electronica 
• Glitchtronica 
• IDM 
• Post-rock

Comment: this handful of tracks is a dexterous release by Jorge Sierra also being known as the lead figure of Eclectik Recording, and a visual artist. Musically it is a diverse whole within certain borders only – more profoundly, one can drift between lone yet suggestive piano chords, high-pitched yet gentle drones, velvety electronic churning, modulated odds and ends. Jorge Sierra is supported by female vocals by such artists as Chenene, Yoka, Worenagia. At Chrysalis the apotheosis of the track comes due to a sublime post-rock climax. It is the most beautiful moment on the release. The outing is a bit in the discography of Miga Records. Follow the universe.

Young Jeezy – The Real Is Back (2011)

RapRadar

• Hip-hop 
• Rap 
• Urban music 
• Gangsta rap

Comment: this is the tenth mixtape by Jeezy being compiled by DJ Drama. The mixtape features guest appearances from 211, Slick Pulla, Scrilla, Fabolous, Yo Gotti, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Boo, Freddie Gibbs, and Alley Boy. Throughout the 20 tracks he employs trivial gangsta themes like tough personal every day's experience, "niggas", women, money and hypocrisy (and the topic of credibility). Musically it is mostly driven by compelling, a bit foreboding bass drives which make a strong contrast to the recent, soul-soaked hip-hop. Arriving at the lyrics it wasn't about the politics though nowadays it would have been at least partly about Donald Trump, and Kanye West (allegedly to be a “token negro” endorsed by a couple of the so-called opinion leaders) as a supporter of him. By following the news about Donald Trump it must be admitted it is some sort of religious nightmare within the heads of left-wing intellectuals and journalists. Middle Ages seem to be back again what was frequently about feverish suspicions and beliefs and wishful thinking. If you have real facts to enact impeachment then ultimately do it. Do not waste your and other people's precious time while practising verbal self-stimulation. Additionally I do not believe in the fact that 90 per cent of black Americans support Democratic Party. Why I should do it while at the reigning period of Barack Obama there were tumultuous riots by black people against police violence but the demonstrators also demanded vacant jobs at the same time. For instance, in Baltimore, Maryland. Given that the recent economic climate is remarkably more stable and the country is more wealthy than some years ago why they should behave in an irrational way? And before someone called Ayanna Pressley denotes someone as "the occupant of the White House..." she should be aware of the presumption of innocence. Last but not least - it is a fine listening experience.

Appalachian Falls – GrimGrimAntonym (2011)

Resting Bell

• Ambient 
• Soundscape 
• Avant-garde 
• Live 
• Ambient drone 
• Microtonal 
• Experimentalism

Comment: some artists come to stay, some artists come to disappear forever. Appalachian Falls seems to be a representative of the latter version. One can find out very austere information about him/her (he/she is called as austerely as I) traces in music. However, GrimGrimAntonym consists of two long-running compositions in the vein of ambient and drone mixed powerful appearance. More profoundly, it is represented with the texture of ambient music and the inner, propulsive impulse of drone music by employing an array of distortion pedals and tape machines. The music is recorded during a live session which used to slowly build up in the manner of post-rock through massive crescendos and subsequent purgative fadeouts. The enchanting aural experience is a part of the discography of Resting Bell, a well-recognized German imprint (unfortunately its mission has come to an ending). That`s great indeed.

Kalouv – Sky Swimmer (2011)

Sinewave

Bandcamp

• Post-rock 
• Epic 
• Art rock 
• Ambient rock 
• Yacht rock 
• Progressive rock 
• Funk rock 
• Crossover
• Indie rock
• Alternative rock

Comment: this 7-track outing is a debut album by the Brazilian ensemble Kalouv being released on a Brazil imprint, Sinewave (which has been a fine platform for providing a review about a part of the Brazilian experimental rock scene). These 36 minutes build up an arousing listening experience veering away from propulsive yet caressing guitar chords and funky yacht rock-alike gears to dizzy crescendos and lofty ambient rock sweeping to intense progressive rock noodling. It is a simultaneous play with the format and timbre, with the mood and self-expression. Actually the great cover print of this release used to embrace all of that in a fine way. Sea, sun, and a fine, light-hearted mood in overall. Great music by any means.

Tinyfolk – Incredible Snow (2011)

Free Music Archive

Archive.org

• Drone pop 
• Singer-songwriter 
• Electronic music 
• DIY 
• Electro-indie 
• Synth-pop

Comment: soon 10 years will be passed by from the moment when I did discover the incredible world of netlabels, platforms like Archive.org, Free Music Archive, Jamendo, CLLCT, The Daydream Generation and many outings within them. There was then the initial, true user-friendly version of Lastfm through which I did contact with Tinyfolk and discovered his releases. Indeed, all his issues were released through Bloomington, Indiana-based CLLCT which was a bottomless source for the contemporary DIY and lo-fi scene of the USA. It is redundant to speak out I truly miss those times. However, Incredible Snow is a 4-track issue and crafted after Ross Woods (now he is she under the name Sara June Woods) moved from Bloomington to the Windy City. Before that he had created a loads of issues of mixed quality but the recent one reflects on his maturity in coherent songwriting and because of it I would like to partly avoid the tag lo-fi although it is a stylistic lo-fi example. It is a great release with melodically catchy teasers although the release is more minimal than Ross/Sara's previous issues. I guess similarly to his previous issues it is created on Apple Garageband but without any guitars and ukuleles. It is fully electronic with synthesised drones and orchestrations. You can hear the female singing occasionally probably belonging to Meghan Lamb from Iron Like Nylon. This is her one of the latest issues before the project came to the end and she started a new project, Pretty Swans with Meghan, and Jim Laczkowski (Garden On A Trampoline).

Jon E. Erkkila – Every Man Needs A Mexican Mistress (2011)

Kill Mommy

Bandcamp

• Lo-fi 
• Country 
• DIY 
• Americana 
• Singer-songwriter

Comment: Jon E. Erkkila is a transgender female/shemale person who is proud to be the first transgender country superstar in the USA. Indeed, it is a huge honour, isn`t? Every Man Needs A Mexican Mistress is the country music case with DIY/lo-fi attitude. Sloppy banjos, and accidental harmonicas, and loose-fitting yet somehow charming (male-tinged) singing used to constitute an intriguing whole. I would like to call it a sort of country-exploitation issue because she used to manipulate with hillbilly and country clichès while having a tongue-in-cheek attitude. In truth, could you imagine a glamorous, vamped shemale standing over there and singing seriously the country songs. Although it embraces 11 tracks it will clock in at a 27-minute only but it is not problem. The issue is a part of a short existed Italian label, Kill Mommy. Additionally to the release she would have issued even more 14 albums. Let's discover them under the name Slow Groan) through Bandcamp.

Kanabun – Open The World EP (2011)

Bunkai-Kei

• Electronic pop 
• J-pop 
• Alternative pop 
• Cinematic 
• Hip-hop
• Art pop 
• Shibuya-Kei 
• Ambient pop 
• Rap

Comment: it is not surprising to have a talk about the Japanese webscene as one of the mightiest if not the most mighty worldwide. Even there was once up an article by Pitchfork by describing those massively populated parties in Nippon. One of the groundsills is an imprint called Bunkai-Kei wherefrom you can discover a loads of great electronic music and Japanese heritage mixed albums. Yeah, Kanabun`s 4-track Open The World EP is one of them. Of course, one could not underestimate the influence of a style called Shibuya-Kei which strongly flourished in the 90s by its cut and paste method and on the other side by adding cutting-edge easy listening, jazz, and bossa nova and exotica pop styles from the Western cultural sphere to create something truly cinematic and floating. For instance, Link is obviously the most cinematic notch within these 23 minutes, Decillion is a joyous Japanese rap backed up by a sultry beat and enchanting carillon. From experimental, glitched-out noises, vowel effects and sound manipulations to full-fledged artsy pop examples and semi-ochestrated moody hedonism in the self-titled track. In a word, the result is superb, enter the party!

Pete Um ‎– Look Sharp! And Hear The Difference (2011)

Chinstrap

Free Music Archive

• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Electronic music 
• Dada music 
• Freeformfreakout 
• DIY

Comment: this 10-notch issue was released exactly 7 years ago at Chinstrap Music, Ergo Phizmiz-led imprint but in fact there is no difference by listening to it 7 years before the year of 2011 or 7 years after that because this kind of music is ageless. By the way, it is the same date when the Chernobyl`s reactors exploded. Peter Um`s music is recorded by using analogue-based, reel-to-reel recorder and stylistically it is a wealthy, further pushing mess of dadaist sounds and dizzy effects. I have also had a similar experience in producing music by manipulating with the tapes only. This is a world with restricted possibilities which in fact is a good premiss to cut off innumerable possibilities and get a spot on certain, tangible things. Indeed, there are up 10 slices of uncompromising pop music with droning electronics and marching rhythms and pitched-up vocals (for instance, Slice 1, and Slice 10) though I guess for the most of people it is not pop music at all. They may right because I guess Peter Um`s purpose is not positive, I mean to produce pop music on its own. It may be more just embracing elements from it and infect them with a frenetic, dadaist fever. In fact, he hijacks primitive melodies and harmonies and change them even more into a simplistic one which is one of the practices to ridicule this pulpy mass culture. On the other side, Um adds experimental, even a bit aggressive facets to emphasize the ridiculousness and unsustainability of it. In general, however, the result is positive because there are up 10 tracks which could not be forgotten and will have surfaced many decades later in the blogs of obscure music unless the servers would not blow up due to insignificant information to be contained within them in the most part.

NB! I do not know was the album presented at yamanotedreams or not but I am very glad that rajsank is back again after a two and a half year hiatus to promote releases from the webaudio world (and especially Japanese issues). The reason of the blogger`s hiatus was he could not be remembering his password. Very dadaist indeed.      

Balogh=Double Sided Double Density (2011)

Kermesse

• Electro-acoustic 
• Avant-garde 
• Experimentalism 
• Leftfield 
• Noise 
• Plunderphonics 
•  Improvised music 
• Sampledelic 
• Avant-blues

Comment: Jared C. Balogh is a man who has done very much for the sake of the weblabel/netlabel world. He has been leading an imprint, Altered State Of Mine and released a bunch of albums. So it can be said he has had very much to say even if having a focus upon his particular albums. One of them is over there being released on Kermesse, an Argentine imprint. The description of it at the release site is apprehensible – 4 tracks of layered first take improv. And it works in its roughness and raggedness, having made it on guitars, the drums and electronic/sonic effects (accelerations, manipulation with hisses). One can feel curious of what is going to happen during the next steps. The second track Sad Alert Alarm Emergency one can perceive that below those distorted guitar-based overdrives is the simplistic theme progression which reminds me of Paint It Black by the Rolling Stones. However, later tracks embrace clear-cut samples from pop songs. It is all about distortion and disruption in a straight and indirect sense. You can hear chopped and sliced rhythmic patterns, unusual sonic combinations being obviously inspired by cutting-edge jazz, dada music, Captain Beefheart's deranged soul. Get this miscellany of intriguing compositions and sounds.

Noblemo "piano,sountrack,lounge" – Heart Of The Piano (2011)

Jamendo

• Piano music 
• Mood music 
• Electronic

Comment: what about us? What about you? What about me? What about those thousands of people who are listening to Jamendo? What about those millions of people who are listening to mainstream stations and having no idea about those thousands of people who are listening to Jamendo. Don't give a heck to them. And vice versa. The recent artist, for example, has issued a loads of albums during the last decade but will those millions of people to know about the outings until their heart stops to beat. I guess no, because worldwide there are up news and information which are immensely more important. For example, I just read that one celebrity, let's say her name is Lyra Tarhum, decided to remove her uterus. Actually it seems to be a very heroic statement by her but I have no chance to remove it even if I would like to do it. In a word, how to translate the information into a useful one from your own perspective? Indeed, we are weird animals who are descended from the monkey, a stupid beast. And some of us thinking they are better than the others. That's called divine comedy acted by mundane worms. This 5-cut outing is a joyful blend of upbeat piano chords, some more joyful piano chords, and some cloudless synthesised hovers in the middle of it. In overall, it is wrapped up by naive and childish tendencies. I guess Noblemo does mean No Problemo in fact. It chimes like a sonic counterpart to a trouble abandoned picture from a brochure of Jehovah's witnesses. A lion is there beside a sheep and he is not intended to attack the other animal because he is satisfied with the uterus from a parallel universe. It is a sci-fi wish similarly to Elon Musk`s ones to fly and then die on the reddish ground of Mars. God, You cantankerous one please let it happen. We need more cerebral outflow, we need more subliminal delirium, we need more tago mago. We need more possibilities to come as soon as possible to our limited yet deadly borders. So what about us? So what about you? What about me?

Seppuku – Permanent Real Delicate (2011)

Dracula Horse

• New Wave 
• Post-punk 
• Synth-rock 
• Alternative rock 
• Indie rock 
• Synth-pop 
• Dreamwave 
• Alternative 
• Space pop 
• Kosmische Musik 
• Dance rock 
• Art punk 
• Acid rock

Comment: it is tremendous honour to be back at the discography of Dracula Horse, the American imprint of being closely related to Coolrunnings, a combo that had produced a bunch of outstanding contemporary psychedelic issues. However, Seppuku's 6-track issue of being embedded in a 16-minute is as great as well. It starts off with an abrasive electronic/synth-punk/new wave rant to stepwise evolve into more psychedelic and spacious appearances at will. The artist is dripping with dreamy guitars and dream-drenched synthesisers which used to have more in common with such space explorers as M Geddes Gengras, Oneothrix Point Never, Steve Hauschildt, Leyland Kirby rather than with die-hard post-punk ensembles. First and foremost, I am talking about composition called Ravine. And of course, all of that effortless aplomb leads eventually to remembering Tangerine Dream. In a word, that's an explosive yet bewildering miscellany of dance-appealed guitar chords, and reverie-induced keyboards, and suggestive propulsions. Top quality by any means.

Kirk Cosby - Advancement Opportunities

Yaporigami – Loop 1.0 (2011)

Hz-Records

• Experimental techno 
• Glitch techno 
• Avant-techno 
• Minimal dub 
• Electronic music 
• Experimental electronica

Comment: Yaporigami is a Japanese artist whose 15-notch outing is a fine blend of crispy beats, clockwork-alike electronic effects and neurotic electrified wobbling. It is like metal as a material will get elaborated incessantly from one form to another. Stylistically it is a drift between glitched-out techno and minimal dub. The artist has entitled all the tracks as loops but in fact these ones are enduring compositions on their own. The listener is allowed to rumble around across the labyrinthine and boxy channels full of ear-provoking dodges, vivid turns and enchanting rushes. It is the source of dizziness ultimately. It is a part of the artificial world, it may even be a bit dystopic and suffocating yet at the same time preserving its irresistible outfit and inner playfulness. This outstanding techno and dub outing is a bit in the discography of Hz-Records.

wk[es] - Deus ex machina (2011)

Hz-Records

• Avant-techno 
• Experimental electronica 
• Experimental techno 
• IDM 
• Abstract techno

Comment: if to compare it to a nearby album review Parametic Delay's Love Song Before Sleeping (2011, No-Source) you can draw parallels on glitched-out sounds and IDM-esque cadences yet on the other side it is a disparate case for sure. It is not inflected by indie pop at all these five tracks get their power from outer space to bring it forth through mundane technical support and electronics. That's cool, that's intriguing. Deus ex machina. Although the first two tracks (Dialogue, Phantasm) are quite gentle by its nature the rest of the whole is remarkably more spaced-out and murky in its deliberatedly haphazard playfulness. It reminds me a bit of Autechre, the duo's abstract, mathematical techno. Debris and waste will be employed to the maximal extent. It sounds like a Poltergeist would play somewhere in the middle of a wasteland. This mind-provoking outing is a bit of the discography Hz-Records.

Parametic Delay – Love Song Before Sleeping (2011)

No-Source

• Indietronica 
• Post-pop 
• Electronic pop 
• IDM 
• Plinkerpop 
• Glitch pop 
• Bitpop
• Synth-pop

Comment: I can remember for the first half of the 00s while one of the most interesting sounds was related to the so-called duyster (from Belgium) and such labels as Morr Music, and Monika Enterprise. Such peripheral sounds and bits as glitches, noises, 8 bits and other wonky sounds were scraped to subjugate them to sub pop/gentle indie pop inflected harmonies and melodies. Within the netlabel world there have also been such kind of juggernauts who provided a platform to an immense number of artists. Error Lo-Fi, Aerotone, 12rec. and of course, No-Source imprint (unfortunately all these records are defunct now). All the aforementioned elements are apparently represented on this 5-notch issue coming out from Indonesia (the duo of Benk Robo, and Dittea). It is witty, it is poignant, it is charming, it is cerebral with regard to the choice of sounds and accomplished compositions. At the same time it is intact and not smeared with the burden of everyday life. We cannot be without adjectives while describing an astounding release. This issue makes that sense.

Di Bos - Episode 27

Nasienie – Chasing The Fog (2011)

Webbed Hand

• Ambient 
• Microsound 
• Minimalism 
• Electronic music 
• Microtonal
• Ambient rock 
• Soundscape 
• Alternative

Comment: this set of 6 tracks (clocking in at a 28 minute) is viable to be listened to while you feel yourself sad for some bitter events, for instance, if you remind of your broken affairs though it is hard to figure out is it either the effect of it or a very arousing reason for doing it. While feeling an intense painful sense coming inexplicably out from very deep of your heart. On the other side, while driving across the foggy and very snowy highway you could see even more details in comparison to a usual cloudless day because you have to be more concentrated and you are tightly surrounded by a milky ambience to catch sight of other kind of details. Or you can experience the same feeling when you are driving the bus and your head is leaned against the window and watching drops running sinuously and at different speeds from top of the window. There are represented some audible characteristics which chime on their own and on the other side do interact seamlessly with one another. The aforementioned whitened sublime progressions include some reverberant sounds, some more light-hearted, clearly perceived as more crude, directly played and untreated, synthesiser played interludes (for instance, Microsound). For instance, the track called Undertone sounds almost in a psychedelic way. The following composition Mute Witness changes the path of the course (back again) to thriving into something thoroughly thoughtful and beatifically frost-bound and charmingly immobile as if an audible example of an aporia by Zenon about moving and staying still (the second part of the track evokes your soul to crawl). At the finishing 21 experimental rock tendencies stepwise begin to emerge and swim and lazily produce sonic waves of different shapes and range. The fascinating outing is a part of the discography of Webbed Hand.

H Stewart – Parker Square (2011)

Folksoundomy: Music And Music Albums

• Singer-songwriter 
• Electronic music 
• Piano music 
• Alternative 
• Avant-pop 
• Experimental pop

Comment: this handful of pieces are composed by an American artist, H Stewart and released by an imprint, Folksoundomy. She is being known as vowel, sound poetry artist dwelling deep in the avant-garde/experimental music scene first of all. This time she releases her emotions and memories. Indeed, you can partake of those flickering sparse undulations being tapped out on a cheap Casio keyboard and being surrounded by austere sonic effects coming out from a laptop. The result is impressive in its heartbreaking longing and ennobling soul pain showcasing H Stewart is also a solid singer if needed. Indeed, the strength of the outing is that her intimate incantations are delicately stripped down and addressed because of that showing up its inner magic and power. This is music I would like to listen to during late and lonely hours.